Image segmentation using reference gray scale values

Abstract

The invention provides for a medical imaging system (100, 300, 400) comprising a memory (110) containing machine executable instructions (120) and a processor (106). Execution of the machine executable instructions cause the processor to: receive (200) a magnetic resonance image (300), receive (202) meta data descriptive of the magnetic resonance image, wherein the metadata comprises reference gray scale value data (124) for two or more tissue types; and segment (204) the magnetic resonance image using an image segmentation algorithm (126) that uses the reference gray scale value data.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A medical imaging system comprising:
 a memory containing machine executable instructions; 
 a processor, wherein execution of the machine executable instructions cause the processor to:
 receive a magnetic resonance image; 
 receive meta data descriptive of the magnetic resonance image, wherein the metadata comprises reference gray scale value data as numerical values which are referenced respectively to two or more tissue types; and 
 segment the magnetic resonance image using an image segmentation algorithm that is modified on the basis of the reference gray scale value data; 
 
 wherein the medical imaging system comprises a magnetic resonance imaging system, wherein the medical imaging system further comprises pulse sequence commands for controlling the magnetic resonance imaging system to acquire magnetic resonance data, wherein execution of the machine executable instructions further causes the medical imaging system to: 
 control the magnetic resonance imaging system using the pulse sequence commands to acquire the magnetic resonance data; 
 reconstruct the magnetic resonance image from the magnetic resonance data; and
 generate the reference gray scale value data. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The medical imaging system of  claim 1 , wherein the modification of the image segmentation algorithm includes modifying the boundary detection algorithm using the reference grayscale value data before segmenting the magnetic resonance image. 
     
     
       3. The medical imaging system of  claim 1 , wherein execution of the machine executable instructions further causes the processor to identify multiple phantom regions corresponding to each of two or more tissue types within the magnetic resonance image, wherein the reference gray scale values data is at least partially determined using the magnetic resonance image. 
     
     
       4. The medical imaging system of  claim 1 , wherein the magnetic resonance imaging system comprises an imaging coil, wherein the imaging coil comprises a magnetic resonance phantom for each of the two or more tissue types. 
     
     
       5. The medical imaging system of  claim 4 , wherein the magnetic resonance phantom for each of the two or more tissue types has a predetermined geometric location relative to each other, wherein the multiple phantom regions are identified at least partially using the predetermined geometric location. 
     
     
       6. The medical imaging system of  claim 5 , wherein the phantom for each of the two or more tissue types comprises a phantom material with a proton density, a T1 value, and a T2 value which models the two or more tissue types. 
     
     
       7. The medical imaging system of  claim 1 , wherein the image segmentation algorithm comprises an anatomical atlas matching algorithm for segmenting the magnetic resonance image, wherein the anatomical atlas matching algorithm is adjusted using the reference gray scale values. 
     
     
       8. The medical imaging system of  claim 1 , wherein the image segmentation algorithm comprises a mesh model for segmenting the magnetic resonance image, wherein the mesh model is adjusted using the reference gray scale values. 
     
     
       9. The medical imaging system of  claim 1 , wherein the image segmentation algorithm comprises a voxel classifier for segmenting the magnetic resonance image by classifying individual voxels using gray scale values and a neighborhood of the individual voxels, wherein the voxel is adjusted using the reference gray scale values. 
     
     
       10. The medical imaging system of  claim 1 , wherein execution of the machine executable instructions further cause the processor to:
 re-scale gray values of the magnetic resonance image to a reference interval; and 
 re-scale the reference gray scale value data to the reference interval. 
 
     
     
       11. The medical imaging system of  claim 1 , wherein the metadata is contained in the DICOM header of the magnetic resonance image. 
     
     
       12. A computer program product comprising machine executable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium for execution by a processor controlling a medical imaging system, wherein execution of the machine executable instructions cause the processor to:
 receive a magnetic resonance image; 
 receive meta data descriptive of the magnetic resonance image, wherein the metadata comprises reference gray scale value data as numerical values which are referenced respectively to two or more tissue types; and 
 segment the magnetic resonance image using an image segmentation algorithm that is modified on the basis of the reference gray scale value data; 
 wherein the image segmentation algorithm comprises a voxel classifier for segmenting the magnetic resonance image by classifying individual voxels using gray scale values and a neighborhood of the individual voxels, wherein the voxel is adjusted using the reference gray scale value data. 
 
     
     
       13. A method of operating a medical imaging system, wherein the method comprises:
 receiving a magnetic resonance image; 
 receiving meta data descriptive of the magnetic resonance image, wherein the metadata comprises reference gray scale value data as numerical values which are referenced respectively to two or more tissue types; 
 segmenting the magnetic resonance image using an image segmentation algorithm that is modified on the basis of the reference gray scale value data; 
 re-scaling gray values of the magnetic resonance image to a reference interval; and 
 re-scaling the reference gray scale value data to the reference interval.